Positioning device for railway-car couplers



A. E. SMALL April POSITIONING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY CAR COUPLERS Filed June 16, 1926 PM 0 U E 1 w n H ammw Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR E. SMALL, COMPANY,

POSITIONING DEVICE FOR Application filed June 16,

This device relates to means for automatically positioning the coupler of a railway car by gravity.

Two railway cars are automatically coupled together by the movement of their respective couplers forcing the tails of the pivoted knuckles behind gravity locks. The couplers are mounted in the cars so as to permit a limited amount of lateral movement. Such limitation is necessary and sential because if the couplers were allowed to move too far to either side, the couplers of the two cars being coupled would pass each other and not couple, thereby defeating the object of the automatic coupler. The greater the lateral. movement of a coupler the less side pressure on the striking casting when the cars are going around curves. This lateral pressure forces the wheel flanges against the rail causing considerable friction and wearing of the rails and wheels.

()ne of the objects of the invention is to increase the amount of permissible lateral movement of a coupler by providing automatic means for returning the couplers to the longitudinal center of the car or at least close enough thereto so that the automatic couplers will couple. This is what is termed the coupling range.

It very often necessary to couple cars on curves and frequently when the 'adius of the curve is very small, as is common around, industrial plants, the couplers ot' the two cars will be so far out of alignment that they will not automatically couple. Another object of the invention is to automatically bring such couplers within coupling range. The outside rail of a curved track is raised above the inside rail and I provide means whereby the coupler is moved toward the inside of the curve by gravity. This automatic gravity means also returns the coupler to the longitudinal center of the car when the car moves from the curved to the straight part of the track.

In my device the lateral movement between the coupler and the carrier is elin1inated, thus reducing friction and consequent wear on the parts. This is quite an item particularly in sandy countries because cou plers are costly and the replacement of a coupler means keeping the car out of service.

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO .UNIOIT METAL PRODUCTS OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

RAILWAY-CAR COUPLERS.

1926. Serial No. 116,407.

Coupler positioning devices reduces the number of broken knuckles and guard arms on couplers which members are frequently bent or broken when the couplers are not within coupling range. Such devices also reduce the number of accidents to trainmen as they are not required to go between the cars and positionthe coupler preparatory to couplin a A common form of car coupler positioning device com rises a coupler carrier swingably suspem ed by links from some part of the car so that the objects and advantages mentioned above are obtained and my invention is an improvement upon such devices and consists in providing a shiftable bearing construction to increase the cccentricitvof the weight of the coupler (and its associated parts) about its point of support, thus increasing the resultant force tending to return the coupler to the longitudinal center of the car (or away therefrom when the car is tipped).

In my device the coupler carrier is swingably suspended from any convenient partof the car by a link at each of its ends and is provided with means, such as lugs, to preventlateral movement of the coupler relative thereto. These links have a rolling engagement with the supporting car part and the carrier. The engaging surfaces are non- C(HHitlltllfl with each other so that upon lateral swing of the link, one of said surfaces rolls upon the other surface and gradually shifts the contactingor engaging line therebetween. The curved surfaces maybe arcuate or of any desired contour.

In the drawings i l Fig. 1 shows a typicalapplication of the device to a railway car. i l

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and are skeleton diagrams showing the device respectively in normal position and with the carrier moved laterally.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a link.

Figs. 1. 2 and 3 show a typical application of the device to a car wherein the coupler carrier element 3 is swingably suspended at its opposite ends to the casting (or other car part 5) by the links 2. The car part element 5 is provided with relastriking tivcly fiat upper bearing surfaces and the *arrier 3 is provided with a relatively flat lower bearing surface 31. One (or preferably both) of the links has a curved hearing surface at each end which engage the bearing surfaces (3031) of the car part and carrier, respectively. The links may be provided with lateral extemdons to increase the length of the curved bearing surface. Figs. at and 5 show this adaptation (with the immaterial parts of the car omitted) in normal and upon extreme lateral movement of the coupler 8.

In the usual cornering device link, which is pivoted at both ends, the eccentricity of the load upon the link is equal to the lateral. swing A of the carrier, but in my arrangementthis eccentricity is increased by the distance the link rolls upon the car part. I11 other words, when the carrier moves dis tance A (Fig. the eccentricity is distance B, which is greater than A.

As one surface rolls upon the other the effective radius of the link is changed and the parts may be so proportioned as to maintain the same radius, or to increase or decrease it, as desired. In any event the eccentricity of the load about its support is increased.

It is desirable to provide some means to prevent slippage between the engaging surfaces, thus forming one surface to roll upon the other, thereby maintaining operative relation between the parts of the device. This may be accomplished by a rack and tooth arrangement or by a single tooth 20 engaging a depression 21 in the other element or the link may be held in place resting between oppositely disposed pm'tions 2:2-23 of the car part (or carrier).

The broad idea of shifting the bearings between the link and a car part and between the link and the carrier (either one or both) is covered by tLPl'JliCzttlO'llS for patents, Serial N 0. 116,406, and No. 116308, tiled June 1.6, 1926, which applications also claim certain details of construction.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the ii'ivent-ion, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a railway car; the combination of a car part element, a, coupler carrier element, and a. pair of links swingably suspending the opposite ends of the carrier thereto, nonconcentric engaging surfaces between one of said links and one of said elements whereby upon lateral swing of the link, one of said surfaces rolls upon the other and gradually shifts the contacting line tl'ierebetween, one of said surfaces having projection which opcratively engages a depression in the other of said surfaces constituting means to maintain operative relation between the elcnumts.

In a railway car; the combination of a. car part element, a coupler carrier element, and a pair of links swingably suspending the opposite ends of the arrier thereto, upwardly projecting eccentric rolling engaging surfaces between one of said links and one of said elements, whereby upon lateral swing of the link the place of contact hetweenv the link and its adjacent element is shifted.

3. In a railway car; the combination of a car part element, a coupler carrier element. and a pair of links swingably suspei'iding the opposite ends of the carrier thereto, one of said links provided with lateral extensions, upwardly projecting eccentric rolling engag in; surfaces between said extensions and one of said elements, whereby upon lateral swing of the link the place of contact between the link and its adjacent element is shifted.

4t. In a railway car; the combination of a car part element, a coupler carrier element, and a pair of links swingably suspending the opposite ends of the carrier thereto, said links having curved bearing surfaces projecting toward and engaging flat bearing surfaces on the car part and carrier respectively, whereby upon lateral swing of the link the line of contact between the link and the element is shifted.

5. In a railway car; the combination of a car part element, a coupler carrier element, and a pair of links swingably suspending the opposite ends of the carrier thereto. said links provided with lateral extensions having curved bearing surfaces projecting toward and engaging flat bearing surfaces on the car part and carrier respectively, whereby upon lateral swing of the link the line of contact between the link and the cicment is shifted.

6. In a rail ny car; the combination of a car part element, a. coupler carrier element, and a pair of links swing: bly suspending the opposite ends of the 'arrier thereto, said links having curved bearing surfaces projecting toward and ciiigaging flat bearing surfaces on the car part and carrier respcctively, whereby upon lateral swing of the link the line of contact between the link and, the element shiiited, each curved bearing surface having a projtv-tion which operativcly engages a depression in the flat hearing surface constituting means to maintain operative relat on between the elements.

7. In a rail car; the combination of a car part having a slot with upwardly projecting bearing surfaces on opopsitc sides thereof, a coupler carrier and a pair of links swingably si'lspcnding said carrier from said car part, one of said links having oppositely projecting trunnions at one end thereof, each ltll] trunnion having a downwardly projecting roiling surface eccentric from and engaging said bearing surfaces.

8. In a railway car; the combination of 5 a car part having a slot with straight hearing surfaces on opposite sides thereof, a conpier carrier and a pair of links swingabiy suspending said carrier from said car part, one of said links having 0 positely rojecting trunnions at one end thereof, eac trunnion having a downwardly projecting rolling surface engaging said bearing surfaces.

ARTHUR E. SMALL. 

